Masters in Digital/Online Marketing

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Digital Marketing Master's Degree (M.A.) in Germany

What is digital marketing? And why is it important?

In many sectors, digital marketing is no longer just window dressing for traditional marketing but has become part of the strategic direction – particularly for globally operating companies in almost all sectors of the economy. As the diversity of digital media increases, there is a contemporaneous need in middle and upper management for experts who master both individual disciplines while also bringing management and leadership qualities to the table.

The English-language Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS International Business School enables you to pursue a career filled with opportunities thanks to general and profound knowledge and well-trained soft skills.

Why study a digital marketing course in Germany?

Choosing to study digital marketing in Germany is a smart move due to the country’s exceptionally high educational standards. Studying for the Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS International Business School means immersing yourself in a stunning, historical cities which boasts outstanding international connections. With its forward-thinking, global approach and strong corporate connections, CBS’ Master’s in Digital Marketing combines a first-class German education with practical, real-world applicability arguably making it the best digital marketing course in Germany.

From Strategy to Storytelling - What do you learn in an online marketing course?

How do you develop an online marketing strategy that works both internationally and across multiple channels and media? The Digital Marketing Master`s courses “Digital Storytelling” and “Digital Strategy Development” will provide you with the answers to these questions. Here you will learn about the various techniques and tools of online marketing. These include storytelling, website optimisation, search engine marketing, conversion optimisation, and marketing analytics.

You will gain a deeper insight in the seminar “Digital Content Creation”, which awaits you in the second semester.

Digital & Online Marketing Master's at a glance

ECTS 120
Semester 4
Language English
Type of Study Full-time
Degree Master of Arts
Campus Cologne
Internship Integrated
Semester Abroad Optional

Start of Studies Cologne Winter
Study Fees Cologne* 5.490€

*The displayed prices are semester fees. For non-EU students' fees please check the tuition fees information page. Status: March 2021.

Study Course Plan

Some information about the study plan for the study programme Masters in Digital & Online Marketing:

General business teaching units

Business Economics3 ECTS

Demand analysis & estimating demand
Supply and market equilibrium
Production economics
Cost analysis
Estimating cost functions and production functions
Economies of scale
Prices, output and strategy in different markets
Game theory models of oligopoly
Pricing techniques and analysis
Government regulation

Empirical Research Methods3 ECTS

Quantitative and qualitative methods
Development of a research question
Steps of research process
Methods of data collection
Sampling
Data analysis using statistical software programs (SPSS or R)
Writing a research report

Strategic Analysis & Management3 ECTS

Strategy making process and strategic reasoning
Cultural and institutional context of strategic management
Network-level strategies
Corporate development and configuration
Strategic change and corporate restructuring
Strategy evaluation and strategic controls

Innovation Management & Digital Transformation3 ECTS

Dynamics of innovation & their implications for change management
Individual creativity and invention
Corporate creativity & intrapreneuring
Technology management
Innovation and technology strategies
Managing innovations
Diffusion of innovations
Cultural differences in innovation capability
Contemporary trends in innovation management

Corporate Social Responsibility3 ECTS

Cornerstones of sustainable management
CSR as management approach
Practical approaches of organizational effectiveness
Tools for CSR implementation
CSR and financial performance
Life cycle assessment

Corporate Governance3 ECTS

Historical developments around the world
Directors and board structures in different parts of the world
Family business governance
Role of institutional investors
Corporate governance in mergers and acquisitions
Socially responsible investments
Corporate governance in different regions

Programme specific teaching units

Digital Strategy Development3 ECTS

Digital Transformation
Big/Smart Data
Gamification
Content Marketing
Social Media Marketing
Social Customer Relationship Management
Geo-Targeting
Cross-/Trans-Channel Marketing

Digital Storytelling3 ECTS

Transmedia trends
Writing Web contents
How to build a character
The 3 act model
Publishing stories
Story building for social media

Interdisciplinary competencies

Advanced Intercultural Team Leadership2 ECTS

Cultural theories and models
The influence of culture on behaviour
Team typologies
Phases of team development
Trust and control
Emergence and avoidance of conflicts
Leadership verses management
Leadership styles

Advanced Negotiation & Influencing Skills2 ECTS

Positional and principal negotiations – advanced strategies and tactics
Identifying the opponent’s negotiation profile
Understanding the personal negotiation profile and preferences
General persuasion techniques
Negotiation maneuvers and tactics for advanced players
Techniques for opponent engagment
Managing emotions and self- programming for defending your point of view
Cialdini’s 6 principles of persuasion

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS

Students are initially placed into an ACTW (Advanced) or FCTW (Foundations) course based on their results of the placement test. International students who qualify for the ACTW course have the option to officially replace this course by a German course.

General business teaching units

International Economics3 ECTS

Globalization and income
Globalization and international trade
Trade and comparative advantage
Trade barriers and trade policy
Firm location, distance and transport costs
Currency crises and exchange rate policy
Financial crises, firms and the open economy

Applied Management Accounting3 ECTS

Managerial accounting and global business environment
Cost term, terms and classifications
Systems design: Job-order costing
Systems design: Process costing
Cost-volume-profit relationships
Sustainability and ethics in accounting decision making

Programme specific teaching units

Digital Content Creation3 ECTS

Project management in practice
Production
Distribution
Inspiring creative media artists
Creative tools for storytelling

Advanced Digital Marketing3 ECTS

The digital marketing revolution
Changes in online communication behaviour and media consumption
Digital analytics
Data driven and cross-media marketing and tracking
Advanced Search Engine Optimization
Advanced Search Engine Advertising
Conversion Rate Optimization techniques and tools

Online & Social Media Management3 ECTS

Theories of online social networks and communities
Collaborative product development
Behavioural economics and social media
Qualitative analyses of social media communications
Industrial espionage and big data
Cybersecurity

Business Project6 ECTS

The overall objective of this course is to provide students with possibility of applying their business knowledge on concrete business situation, related to the field of their specialization.

By the end of the module students should be able to:

Define project goals for the “client”.
Work under the set timeframe and agreed project scope.
Cooperate in the international project teams.
Evaluate markets/ industries/ competitive landscapes.
Develop possible strategic directions for the “client” business.
Formulate recommendations.

Elective area

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS

By choosing Interdisciplinary Electives in the second and third semester you can personalize your degree course and extend your management knowledge. The Interdisciplinary Electives usually include subjects like:

Chat Bot Design
International Competitiveness
Omni-Channel Commerce
International Trade and Emerging Markets
Bitcoin and the Market of Cryptocurrencies
Business Process Modeling
Design Thinking & Adobe Creative Cloud
SAP S/4 Hana in Controlling and Finance
App Development in JavaScript
East Asian Culture and Business
Cultures of Consumption
SPSS

Interdisciplinary competencies

International Project Management2 ECTS

Social competence: Communication, motivation, groups and team structures, leadership, conflict management
Methodological competence: Structural aspects, time management, cost management, human resource management, creativity and problem solving
Organisational competence: Quality management, documentation, risk management, project start and closure

Emotional Intelligence 2 ECTS

Different Inteligencies – IQ vs EQ
The role of emotions – daily and work life
The construct of Emotional intelligence
Emotionally intelligent competencies & skills
Skills acquisition – Experiential/action learning
Reflection & reflexion
Encouraging engagement
Developing trust

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS

Programme specific teaching units

Big Data & Cloud Management3 ECTS

Big Data
Cloud management tools
Cloud management strategies
Private, public, and hybrid clouds

Omni-Channel Commerce3 ECTS

E-Commerce business models
Internet start-ups
Dot-com histories
Mobile Commerce
Mobile payment

Social Media Monitoring3 ECTS

Manual monitoring
Monitoring tools
Steps of Monitoring
Evaluating the results of the Social Media Monitoring
Developing a monitoring concept

Media Planning3 ECTS

Selection of media
Parameters of the media plan
Reach patterns
Assigning financial resources to different channels
Media planning tools
Cooperation with media agencies

Business Simulation Game3 ECTS

In a business simulation game participants have to manage their own virtual company which operates in the same market as other participant-operated competitors. This involves making typical management decisions in realistic environments. Beside the deepening and active examination of subject-specific knowledge the simulation games also include the team environment, where interaction, communication and prioritization are of paramount importance. Participants learn how to manage risk and uncertainty while time is limited and information constrained. Group-reflections help to take over different perspectives and to discuss pros and cons of content- as well as behavior-related actions.

Master Thesis Tutorial2 ECTS

During the Master Thesis Tutorial you will learn the fundamentals for your Master thesis: Defining the topic as well as structuring the thesis and you will learn the theoretical knowledge for scientific working.

Elective area

Interdisciplinary Elective3 ECTS

Chat Bot Design
International Competitiveness
Omni-Channel Commerce
International Trade and Emerging Markets
Bitcoin and the Market of Cryptocurrencies
Business Process Modeling
Design Thinking & Adobe Creative Cloud
SAP S/4 Hana in Controlling and Finance
App Development in JavaScript
East Asian Culture and Business
Cultures of Consumption
SPSS

Interdisciplinary competencies

Skills Elective2 ECTS

In the Soft Skills Courses you will improve your social, leadership and project management skills. Additionally to the courses in the first and second semester you can choose another one in the third semester. Decide for yourself which of your personal competences you want to push forward.

Advanced Digital Marketing Techniques and Tools 2 ECTS

SEM approaches and tools
Google Analytics theory & practice
Google Ads theory & practice
Google Ads Keyword Planner
XOVI SEO Tool
Several freemium SEO tools
Google Search Console

Language & Communication Skills2 ECTS

Programme specific teaching units

Master Thesis24 ECTS

During your 4th semester you are working on your Master thesis. You have 19 weeks to complete your thesis and the subject is freely selectable. A supervisor from CBS will support you and you can write the thesis in collaboration with a company as well. Or you can write your thesis in connection with a stay abroad.

An internship (10 ECTS) in Germany or abroad is integral part of your degree. Our Career Service is happy to support you in finding the perfect company.

Focus on Social-Media

In the Digital Marketing Master`s programme at CBS you will learn how you can use Facebook, Instagram and Co. to plan campaigns that reach exactly the right users. Successful social media strategies require not only effective messages, but also the ability to place them on the right channels and keep an eye on the results. Learning how to manage and monitor various social media outlets is just as much a part of the Digital Marketing Master’s programme as gaining in-depth knowledge of influencer marketing. Use your knowledge in these key areas to build up a decisive competitive advantage and learn how to use large advertising budgets in a targeted manner.

Achieving Key Performance Indicators with the Marketing Master`s Degree

Targeting and big data are two keywords that come to mind when it comes to placing advertising messages in a targeted manner. In order to measure success, it is important to set meaningful goals and ultimately achieve them with well thought-out campaigns. You will learn how this works in the second and third semesters, among other things, during these courses:

Omnichannel Commerce
Big Data and Cloud Management
Media Planning
Social Media Monitoring
Online and Social Media Management

Study digital marketing in Germany – in English!

CBS’ Master’s in Digital Marketing is taught in English and with business English also on the agenda, you will achieve mastery of both international business vocabulary and industry-specific nomenclature. This will prove particularly useful since almost all digital innovations and trends emerge from the USA. In addition to English, you will also learn another foreign language to further bolster your skillset.

Apply your online marketing knowledge to real-life situation

Managers in digital marketing need solid business management skills to make economically viable decisions. These are taught in the Digital Marketing Master`s programme.

With a Master’s in Digital Marketing at CBS, you can apply your freshly acquired expertise in a business project or see how you measure up with others in a business simulation game. Alternatively, you can gain insight into the real digital economy during an eight-week-minimum internship. In the fourth semester, you can also gain practical experience for your master’s thesis, optionally within the framework of a corporate project. Alternatively, it is also possible to write your master’s thesis during a semester abroad. Maybe in California?

Build up your expertise with a graduate degree

Join one of our virtual events and get to know the CBS

Virtual

Virtual Student Life in Germany Event

18. April 2023 | 16:00 - 17:30

Virtual

Online Information Session Master's

27. April 2023 | 17:00 - 18:00

Virtual

Evolution of the Brain

25. May 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00

Virtual

Global Supply Chain Risk Management

4. July 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00

Online Marketing career path - What are the job opportunities?

With a Master’s in Digital Marketing from CBS, you will become an expert in how to integrate digital media into the various marketing processes. This makes you incredibly employable with regards to management positions in both operative and strategic marketing in the following:

International corporations
Content providers and agencies
Ad-tech companies
Media agencies
Or perhaps through starting your own business as an entrepreneur

In the case of the latter, the media management faculty will support you in cooperation with the entrepreneurship chair at CBS and the Hochschulgründernetz Cologne (hgnc).

What are the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Online Marketing at CBS?

For admission into the Master’s in Online Marketing, you need a Bachelor’s degree, including 30 credits relating to the field of business administration, and advanced English language skills.

Take your next step

Study Advisory

Trial Lectures

Financial Aid

Admission Process

Online Application

NEED MORE REASONS? FIND OUT WHY CBS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU

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Learn more about us and our graduate programmes

You would like to inform yourself about our Bachelor and Master programs at home in peace? Request your information material now without obligation and free of charge, and we will be happy to send you our study information material by e-mail.

Follow us on Instagram & Facebook, get to know us at one of our Information Events, or Contact our student advisors to learn more about us.

Anika Zaeske

Study advisory: Campus Cologne
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone:	+49 (0) 221 93 18 09-31
WhatsApp:	Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail:	study@cbs.de

Leah Krug

Study advisory: Campus Mainz
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone:	+49 (0) 6131 88055 31
WhatsApp:	Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail:	study@cbs.de

Ida Möhrke

Study advisory: Campus Berlin/Potsdam
Got any questions? We are happy to help!

Phone:	+49 (0) 178 57 61 749
WhatsApp:	Reach us on WhatsApp
E-Mail:	study@cbs.de

This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann

Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

"Especially the soft skill courses have been of great help for my performance in job interviews. Through my work in the Finance and Business Club I have built up a broad network and acquired project management skills that have enabled me to score points with companies."

Oliver Kiderle

EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

"The focus on internationality and practical skills have had a very positive influence on my development at Google. Especially the structured and very versatile project work, which is often found at a private school, was extremely helpful."

Katrin Rieger

Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

"The practical learning in small groups prepared me optimally for today's project and team work. The CBS provided me with the decisive soft skills and current knowledge from the world of business."

Kalle Kenkel

Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

"My studies at CBS prepared me for a career in today's dynamic, global work environment. As one's origin and physical location become less and less decisive, it has become increasingly important to have a multinational network and adapt quickly to various cultures and environments."

Neil Jordaan

Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

"Many professors shared their professional business experience with us in class and were able to illustrate dry theory with practical examples. I also enjoyed the international atmosphere on campus."

Christopher Rosenbaum

Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

"The Management Studies programme prepares you thoroughly for the tasks of a consultant. In particular, the development of presentation techniques as well as analytical thinking is of enormous importance in the everyday life of a consultant."

Britta Jansen

HR Business Partner
HRS Group

"The CBS is an internationally oriented and very practically orientated university which prepared me very well for the professional world through the compulsory internship, the courses offered and the required project/group work."

Patrick Stein

Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group

"The strongly practice-oriented studies and the international orientation of the CBS, as well as the lectures held in English, were an absolutely necessary basis for starting a career with a renowned, international company."

These graduate study programmes could also interest you:

What should I study?

International Business

Strategic Management

Marketing Management

Wirtschaftspsychologie

Business Psychology

CHECK OUT OUR GRADUATE PROGRAMMES

Write us on WhatsApp

Masters in Digital/Online Marketing

Digital Marketing Master's Degree (M.A.) in Germany

What is digital marketing? And why is it important?

Why study a digital marketing course in Germany?

From Strategy to Storytelling - What do you learn in an online marketing course?

Digital & Online Marketing Master's at a glance

Study Course Plan

General business teaching units

Programme specific teaching units

Interdisciplinary competencies

General business teaching units

Programme specific teaching units

Elective area

Interdisciplinary competencies

Programme specific teaching units

Elective area

Interdisciplinary competencies

Programme specific teaching units

Focus on Social-Media

Achieving Key Performance Indicators with the Marketing Master`s Degree

Study digital marketing in Germany – in English!

Apply your online marketing knowledge to real-life situation

Build up your expertise with a graduate degree

Join one of our virtual events and get to know the CBS

Virtual Student Life in Germany Event

18. April 2023 | 16:00 - 17:30

Online Information Session Master's

27. April 2023 | 17:00 - 18:00

Evolution of the Brain

25. May 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00

Global Supply Chain Risk Management

4. July 2023 | 16:00 - 17:00

Online Marketing career path - What are the job opportunities?

What are the requirements for a Master’s Degree in Online Marketing at CBS?

Take your next step

Study Advisory

Trial Lectures

Financial Aid

Admission Process

Online Application

NEED MORE REASONS? FIND OUT WHY CBS IS THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOU

Learn more about us and our graduate programmes

Anika Zaeske

Leah Krug

Ida Möhrke

This is What Our Students Say

Philip Kollmann

Project ManagerWayne´s Coffee

Oliver Kiderle

EMEA Regional Product ExpertGoogle Inc.

Katrin Rieger

Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President SalesHanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

Kalle Kenkel

Commercial Excellence ManagerGE Healthcare

Neil Jordaan

Global Digital Content ManagerElanco

Christopher Rosenbaum

ManagerErnst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

Britta Jansen

HR Business PartnerHRS Group

Patrick Stein

Head of Human ResourcesBoston Consulting Group

These graduate study programmes could also interest you:

What should I study?

International Business

Strategic Management

Marketing Management

Wirtschaftspsychologie

Business Psychology

Project Manager
Wayne´s Coffee

EMEA Regional Product Expert
Google Inc.

Bereichsdirektorin Reisevertrieb Deutschland / Vice President Sales
HanseMerkur Krankenversicherung

Commercial Excellence Manager
GE Healthcare

Global Digital Content Manager
Elanco

Manager
Ernst & Young GmbH Wirtschaftsprüfungsgesellschaft

HR Business Partner
HRS Group

Head of Human Resources
Boston Consulting Group